Just Maybe
by starrybubble
Summary: I hated the finale. I have to redo ut, if only for my own sanity. Trust me, this will turn out to be much better than I make it sound. No More Zutara, but close brotherly relationship between Katara and Zuko. SUKKA, KATAANG
1. Chapter 1

**Okay guys. I've suddenly realised exactly ho much I adore Zuko. It's kind of freaky. Just as a reminder, this is set after the group accepts Zuko to the Gaang, but before Sozin's Comet. I can't believe Mai got back together with Zuko! It should have been ZUTARA! CURSE YOU, MAI!**

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Day One

Katara looked at the piles of dirty clothes unappealingly, longing to go to the training fields where her friends were practicing. Sokka was out hunting. Zuko was training Aang how to Firebend properly in the five weeks they had left before Sozin's Comet.

"Hey, Toph? Wanna help me with the laundry?" Katara called out hopefully to her friend, who was trying to build a statue of someone out of Sand.

Toph smirked. "Nice try, Katara, but you're the Waterbender here. I'm the blind dirt-girl. You wash."

"Aang's a Waterbender." Katara said hopefully.

"Yeah, but he's out training with Zuko." Topsh replied. Katara visibly stiffened at this. _Zuko, Zuko, Zuko. Is he all everyone can talk about? _

"You still don't trust him, do you?" Toph asked more softly, walking up to Katara.

"No." Katara said. "You weren't there in Ba Sing Se. I thought he had changed, and then he fought with Azula. Against his own Uncle. The man who had taken him in for years! He seemed so different, but I guess he will always be a power-hungry rat. Stupid Zuko." As Katara finished her monologue, a tall spire of flame shot up into the air from somewhere in the fields, followed by Aangs desperate shouts.

"Katara, Katara! Sokka needs help!"

Before Toph could even say a word to her, Katara was off like a bullet. She made sure her pouch hanging off her sash had enough water in it, and then took off without faltering. In a few seconds, she had reached them. Sokka lay to one side of the clearing, his leg twisted at an unnatural angle and his hair sizzling. Aang was shaking, startled by the exlposion, and Zuko was standing at the far end of the field, his face expressionless as usual.

By this point, Toph had caught up and was watching Katara work. She was kneeling by Sokka and was placing her hands and healing water on his leg.

"Thanks, Katara. It doesn't hurt as badly now." Sokka said, trying to pull himself to his feet. He winced, turned a faint shade of green, and then sat back down. "Uh, I think I'll sit here for a moment. Relax. Take in the scenery. Breathe in the sweet smell of freshly roasted meat." Sokka said, gesturing to the sizzling pile of animals he had hunted, and then had gotten fried by the explosion.

Katara didn't say anything, but then turned around and stalked over to Aang. "What happened?" she asked calmly.

Aang faltered. "Well, I was doing okay with fire, so Zu-Zuko tried to show me how to attract lightning. Sokka just w-walked by, and he had his space sword, you know, and lightning, well, lightning likes things made out of metal, so it sort of sparked over to Sokka, but I deflected it with some air. It still caught him, um, in the leg, and, and, well, that's it." he finished, looking uneasy.

Katara rounded immediately on Zuko. "You--you let him try lightning? It ook Azula years to learn that. You took years to learn that. He's been practicing Firebending with you for only a few days, and you tried to teach him LIGHTNING? Are you crazy? And look! Now Sokka's going to be off his feet for a week, and your little lightning flare could have alerted any soldiers in the area. How--how--" Furious, Katara didn't even finish her sentence.

She drew some water from the little stream and formed it into an ice dagger, aiming it straight at Zuko. He ddn't flinch.

"Katara, no!" yelled Aang, but he was too late. Katara let it go, but she purposefully missed. The dagger missed Zuko by inches and stabbed into a tree behind him. Clenching her fists, Katara stomped away, followed by Toph and Momo.

"Um." Aang said, trying to fill in the awkward silence between Sokka and Zuko. "Well, we better head back to camp." He quickly collected his staff and robes, slung them over his shoulder, and walked over to help Sokka up. Sokka grunted, and then forced himslef to his feet.

Zuko followed them quickly, picking up the food and Sokka's dropped Space Sword.

At camp, Katara was seething. She drew little balls of water from the river, and then violently smashed them to the ground. Toph wisely stayed back, sitting on Appa, listening to the splash of water.

"I can't believe we took him in." Katara said to Toph, still throwing waterballs. "What has he done?"

At this point, Toph interrupted. "Well, he's helped Aang het ready for Sozin's Comet, hasn't he?"

Katara was angry. "How can you guys just put up with him like that? You know how much he's tried to kill us. Never mind, you guys don't get it. I'm leaving. Just for tonight, but I want some time to think for myslef. I'll be back in the morning."

Without another word, she grabbed a few blankets and ran out of the camp, leaving Toph stunned.

The basket of laundry still needed to be done.

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**Okay how was that for a start? I'm going to try to update every day (and I know I've made that promise before) since I love Zuko so much. **

**Pleeeaaaassseeee, review?**


	2. Chapter 2

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**Yikes. I just found out that people actually expect me to upload everyday. Obviously they have no idea who I am. But, I am still going to try. I'm sorry I didn't update this yesterday, but I was too busy reading Zutara (go figure.) And, for all you Maximum Ride lovers out there, I'm still writing Forget. PLEASE CHECK IT OUT!**

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Katara stormed out of the camp, fuming. She held a globe a glabe of water in her hands, every now and then she'd change it into a cube and slowly flatten it, pretending it was a certain Firebender she knew.

She finally came to a relatively flat area of land that was close enough to a Waterfall. The soil was a bit damp, but she'd just have to grit her teeth and bear it. (A/N: Ahaha! Get it? Bear? Waterfall? Grizzlies? No? Oh... *sob*)

She quickly spread out her blankets with a flip of her wrist, a move she had learned from Gran-Gran. She threw the globe of water into the fall, and then shut her eyes and tried to fall asleep. Images danced behind her eyelids. Sokka's face twisted in pain, Aang looking horrified as she nearly hit Zuko with an ice dagger, Zuko not Firebending to defend himself. It was all too much, and Katara let her pent up tension out in the form of a few tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Stupid Firenation. Stupid stupid stupid cretans." Muttering this, she let herself drift off in an uneasy sleep.

She awoke the next morning looking straight Aang's face.

"Aaahh!" she screamed, instinctively freezing him to a nearby tree.

She finally gathered her wits and looked more carefully. Aang was pressed against the tree, one arm pinned painfully behind him and his neck craning at an uncomfortable angle. He rolled his eyes at her, and she laughed.

With a few simple motions, she let the ice flow back into the waterfall and Aang stepped away from the tree, dripping wet and shivering.

"Ow, Katara, was that really needed?" he asked, rubbing his arm.

"Sorry." Katara said, looking sheepishly at him. "Um, when did you get here?"

"Only a few minutes ago. We have to move camp. Toph felt some Earthbenders nearby. They're probably looking for only her, but it can't hurt to be safe."

"Right." Katara intoned, gathering up her blankets and furiously try to salvage her hair loopies.

Once she deemed herself presentable, she set off at a brisk march back to camp, leaving Aang floundering in her wake.

The first person she saw was (mercifully) Sokka, stuffing his face.

"Hey sis! The;ve got some great hunting around here! You want some bearopposum?" he asked, tiny bits of food spewing everywhere. To tell the truth, Katara was starving, but not after she saw her brother.

"Um, that's okay, Sokka. I'm not hungry." _Anymore _she silently added.

Just at that moment, Zuko walked out of his tent. He saw Katara, and turned around and went back into his tent.

"I think I scared him yesterday." Katara remarked quietly to Aang.

"I'm sure he wants to stay clear of you, for now. You nearly took his head off yeasterday." Aang said, smiling slightly.

"I wasn't aiming for him. I meant to hit the tree. He was just standing very close to it." Katara protested.

"Okay." Sokka said, butting into their conversation. "But I don't think he's going to fall for that for very long." He took a big bite out of the bearopposum, and Aang winced.

Typical Sokka.

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** I am sorry for the lazk of Katara/Zuko action in this chappie. I'll fix that. But I'm dead tired right now and I need to go to sleep. It's past my *gag* bedtime. Goodnight, sweet peoples. And review.**


	3. Chapter 3

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I know, I know, I'm the world's worst updater? Can you blame me? Um, yes. But I like to read more tan I like to write, and somehow I always end up eating a cookie. Go figure.

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Zuko POV:

My fire is fading.

Uncle hadn't contacted us in about a month. Sozin's Comet is drawing closer, and I can't teach the Avatar everything by myself. My fire dwindles by day, and soon I will not be able to bend.

I can fight with swords and I can make a living somehow, but not being able to bend scares me. It would b like having no hands. No, having no arms. No, having only a head and nothing else.

Ew. I'm trying to see if my fire will come back, but it's not. I balled my hands up and then thrust them in front of my. A pitiful spurt of fire appeared.

"Dammit. Why won't this work?" I grumbled, to angry to notice the light footsteps behind me.

"Um, Zuko, I--" Oh. Katara. Just when my day couldn't get eny worse.

"What are you here for?" I yelled, not even bothering to use my 'nice voice'.

"I just came to call you for dinner." Katara said defensively.

"Suure. I bet you poisoned my food. What? You've never wanted me here in the first place! You were the last one to let me come with you guys." I yelled, anger clouding my mind.

"Well, mayb if you hadn't stabbed my and Aang in the back--literally!-- then I might've trusted you more. I WAS ABOUT TO HEAL YOU!" She yelled, finally getting angry.

"Yeah, well I don't need your stupid water!" I screamed. A smal part of me wondered if the whole forest could hear us yelling.

"You called my water STUPID?!?!?!" She yelled, immediately glancing toward the nearest source of water. Crap, why'd I have to practice near a lake?

I looked around, trying to find a better place to defend myself with my limited fire-bending abilities, when a massive wave of water rose and crashed into me, soaking me and extinguishing the small fireball i had made in my hand.

"Not so stupid anymore, is it?" She said. Her voice was laced with something wrong. Almost insanity. Now I really started to get scared.

"Katara, wait!" I said, purely trying not to get killed. "Wait, just think this--um, I mean, uh...listen to me for a moment!" Oops, wrong choice of words.

"Listen? To you?" she said, laughing in a deranged way. "I've tried listening to you. In that cave. I'm not that stupid anymore. There's nothing you could say that I'd want to hear!" she screamed, rising above me on a swirling vortex of water. She really looked insane. Her eyes were too wide, and her hair was whipping around her face in the fierce wind. Her hands were actually glowing with power, and until that moment I hadn't realised what a powerful Waterbending master she really was.

"Um, I smell dinner." I said quickly, trying to buy some time.

"Yeah." Katara hissed, calming down slightly. "It's leftover porcupine bear. You know, the one you nicely sizzled for Sokka!"

She threw the water back into the lake and walked away, huffing angrily.

"Okay, I'll be there soon." I said.

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** Wow. Writing as Zuko is hard. But, nevertheless, I enjoyed describing deranged, depraved Katara. Interesting. I wonder if she ate a cookie.**

**REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! And don't miss my newet Maze Runner fanfic. And if you havent read the book, READ IT!**


	4. Chapter 4

I know, I know, I'm the world's worst updater? Can you blame me? Um, yes. But I like to read more than I like to write, and somehow I always think about mushrooms. Go figure.

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Sokka POV:

Meat, meat, meat, Suki, Suki, meat, Suki, porcupine bear, mushroom, giant mushy friends, Suki, meat, Suki. Mmm. Cactus juice. Cactus juice? Hmmm...

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Katara POV:

I hate Zuko. Hate him with a passion that's hotter than fire. Than blue fire. Than lighting. Why does he have to be so perfect? Oh, finally, a FireBending master. Oh, finally, another one to join the Gaang, another FireBender gone "good". Why is it that no one else can see what I see? Why? I mean, it's not like he's the only FireBender who's willing to teach Aang. Aang doesn't really need a teacher anyway. He's fine at FireBending. You know, once he learns to, like, aim.

Maybe all Zuko needs is a friend. Or a hug. Or a fruit pie.

Or he needs a slap that will send him into his next life. I'm willing to bet on the second one.

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Aang POV:

Why can't Katara and Zuko just get along?

Honestly, I mean, I don't want them getting too close, since Katara is mine, but not like a trophy of course, because she frowns upon that, but I still want them to be friends.

"Hey, Aang? Can you help me for a sec?" I got up an slowly walked over to where Sokka was closely examining some maps. He was kneeling and circling tiny Earth kingdom towninggXs in blue pencil, and then crossing ut certain routes. I realy don't understand maps.

"Um, Sokka, if this is to get my opinion on how to pass the Gung Xing pass while attracting the leas amount of-"

"No, Aang, I've already decided that. I went over it with you yesterday."

"Um...right..."

"Actually, I have something else in mind. I'm guessing you're as sick as I am about Katara and Zuko arguing all the time, right? Well' I think I know a way to get them to, ah, loosen up. Toph's already in on it, she's gettin a few things for me. I want you to..."

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Katara POV:

"Katara," Aang started, his mouth going dry. He really wasn't good at lying, especially to Katara. "Um, you need a break from all this cooking. Why don't you go relax, do some yoga, talk to Toph, or something like that. I'll get dinner tonight."

Um. Well that was weird. I always do dinner. But I won't waste a golden opportunity like this. "Thanks, Aang!" I exclaimed, getting up. Maybe I could finally convince Toph to do something with her hair...

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Sokka POV:

"Aang!" I whispered from the shadows. "You go keep Zuko occupied. I got it from here." As Aang got up to go find Zuko in the woods, I stealthily walked over to the large pot hanging over the fire. I ladled some water into it, and then got to work chopping some carrots and beans with my knife. Yes, I can cook too. I just don't do it very often. I'm actually very good at it too. In no time, I had a lovely vegetable broth simmering on a hot fire, and I went to work searing some nice chunks of fresh armadillo fish. Yes, this would go wonderfully with the broth. I lmost added ocean kumquats, but I remembered that nobody but me and Katara liked them.

I ladled the stew into five bowls, but secretly made a blue mark on two of the bowls with my pencil. I rummaged in my boomerang case and pulled out a canteen Toph had filled for me. I opened it and poured it equally into the two marked bowls. I left them out, taking care to put the two blue bowls in front of Katara's and Zuko's favorite spots. I rubbed my hands together. This will be good.


	5. Chapter 5

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**I have decided to skip episodes 13,14,15 and 16 of Book Three. So, Katara and Zuko have forgiven eachother, Sokka and Zuko are buddies, Aang learned Firebending, and Toph...is blind.**

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Katara's POV:

I have still not forgiven Sokka for that cactus juice incident. (It ended with me riding piggyback of Zuko while he screamed 'I'm a turtleduck!') So now, it's his 16th birthday, and I have thought of the perfect way to get him back.

"Mail call!" shouted Aang gleefully and he caught sight of Hawky flying toward us, laden with letters.

**Sokka POV:**

Yeah! Mail! It must be for me, since I'm the birthday boy.

I rushed over and stuck out my arm for Hawky to land on, then I grabbed the seven letters he had. "Three for me, one for Toph, one for Katara, and two fliers for the Earth Rumble 9." I looked at my three letters. One from Dad, one from Bato, and one from Suki.

Suki's just wished me a happy birthday. I opened Dad's next.

_Dear Sokka,_

_Now that it's your sixteenth birthday, you have officially reached marrying age in the Water Tribe. As the next Chief, it is your duty to agree to the arranged marriage set up by the tribe Elders. Bato's niece Kuta is of age, and comes from a respectable family-_

"WHAT?" I yelled. I have to get married?

"Can I see?" asked Aang. I numbly handed over the letter to him, and he, Katara and Zuko read it together. They all burst out laughing.

"Oh, man, you should have seen your face!" Zuko howled.

"I can't believe he actually bought it!" Aang whooped gleefully.

Katara smirked. "Now you wound't be spiking anyone's food with cactus juice any time soon."

I was shocked. "It was a fake?" But, eventually I started laughing too.

I opened the last letter.

**Katara POV:**

Sokka's smiling face went blank as he read the last letter. I watched as he slowly placed the letter face-down on the ground, got up, and walked away from the group, into the dense forest nearby. I was worried, so i decided to read the letter for myself.

**Aang POV:**

Katara's worried face suddenly started to shed tears, and before anyone could react, she crumpled the letter, threw it into the stream and ran, sobbing, right into Appa, where she buried her face in his fur and cried. I was torn: go after her, or read the letter? The latter won.

I ran after the letter, now wrinkled and floating in the water. Toph hadn't moved, but Zuko and Suki were following me. I picked up the letter and tried to smooth out the wrinkles the best I could. The water had blurred the words a little, but it was still readable.

_Sokka and Katara,_

_Fire Nation ambush. Hakoda's dead. Meet me on Ember Island in three days._

_Bato_

"Oh, Spirits." I breathed, and then ran to Katara. She was still crying, and all I could do was sit there and watch while her family left her.

Sokka didn't return that night. Zuko wanted to go out and look for him, but Suki said that he probably wanted to be alone. Which was probably true. Katara cried until about 8, when she fell asleep.

The next morning, Sokka came back. His eyes weren't red and puffy, like Katara's, but he didn't register emotions on his face. That scared all of us, but we have to leave now if we want to be on Ember Island in two days.

**Sokka POV:**

I could have helped. I could have done something. I saw him a few weeks ago. If I had gone with him, I could have saved him. But because I went with Aang, I helped save Katara. Why does my life need to be so complicated?

Everyone's leaving me. Mom, Yue, now Dad. Katara and all my friends are about to risk their lives in some wacko battle against the world's best firebenders.

I have to go meet Bato. I have to be ready.

Aang looked at me nervously as I walked back into camp, like he was expecting me to burst into tears or something. No, I'm a man, and men don't cry.

"We have to start packing if we want to get there in time." I said, trying to force some emotion into my voice. I walked over to Katara's tent where I found her packing.

"I'm ready." she said, her voice seemed strong, but she was just trying to hide.

We all got on Appa and left.

We reached Ember Island to find two Water Tribe boats docked on shore.

They were waiting for us.

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**Narrator POV:**

They had brought along a stuffy old man from the Northern Water Tribe-they being Bato, Chief Arnook and Master Pakku. Sokka and the others were sitting on the deck of Chief Arnook's ship, Bato's being too small.

The stuffy man had brought along an incredibly old paper, and was now reading from it.

"Sokka and Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, we mourn your loss. But the fact remains that the Southern Water Tribe is currently without a Chief."

Katara gasped a little, and then shared a quick glance at Aang, who seemed to understand what the man was talking about. Sokka stared forward, blankly gazing at a coil of rope, and Zuko, Suki and Toph seemed perplexed.

"Sokka, you are now sixteen, and are officially of age. Do you accept the position of Chief of the Southern Water Tribe?"

Sokka's fingers clenched into a fist, and Suki, Katara and Aang looked worryingly at him. Zuko nodded his head a little, and Toph fidgeted in her seat. They were all thinking the same thing.

NO.

Sokka glanced around at his friends, and then looked straight at the man, pinning him with an icy blue gaze.

"I need to discuss this."

The man blurted out a flustered "Of course, of course!" and left the room with Chief Arnook and Bato.

**Sokka POV:**

As soon as the door was closed, I turned to my friends, feeling like a little boy again.

"What do I do?" I said, hearing the desperation in my voice.

Katara spoke first. "You can't leave, Sokka. Ask someone else to do it. Bato could. But we need you."

"She's right." Suki said. "Who else can come up with a plan that could win the battle?"

"I don't know, Sokka." Zuko said quietly. "You have a duty to your people."

He was right. Besides, he was the only one who really understood him. He'd always known that he'd have to be Fire Lord some day. He knew what a responsibility it was. I had been prepared for this, too. I had always wanted to be Chief. But since I met Aang, since I became active in stopping this war, I'm rethinking that. Becoming Chief would require me to leave my friends. But my people need me. My fellow warriors need me. I couldn't back down. Not now.

"I have to go." I said, looking Katara straight in the eye.

"What?" said Toph, sounding outraged.

"Let him go." Zuko said. "He has a duty to his Tribe. What kind of warrior would he be if he didn't help his people in their time of need?"

The men walked back in to the room at that time.

"Well?" the man asked.

"I'll do it."


End file.
